Ore-separator



R. l. PiERSOL DRE SEPARATOR.

APPLVIAHUN mu; MAY 21, ms.

1 335,600. Patented Mar. 30, 1920.

26 7 WITNESSES mmvmn A HORNE rs following is a full, clear, and exact de- 301mm JAMES PIERSOL, ofjmmnn. CALIFORNIA.

o E-snr among; r

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented M a r. 30, 1920.

Application filed May 21, "19:19. Biiftal No. 29$.li19.

To all whom it may concern 7 Be it known that I. Ro'nmrr J. P'muson, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident of Engelmine, in the county of Plumas and State of California, have invented a new and Improved Ore-Separator, of which the scription.

The present invention relates to no' and useful improvements in machines for concentrating ores, and pertains. more particularly to machines which this operation is carried out by what isknown as the flotation process. In this irocess the pulp which embodies finely di'vit ed ore, a liquid such as water, and a frothing agent consisting of a suitable oil is subjected to a suitable agitating and'aerating process, and it is the primary object of this invention to increase the etliciency of this agitating and aerating process.

It is a well-known-tact' in the art that the and, adhere to the bubb'leswhich arise 'to' the surface of the pulp carrying the sulfide with them.

Processes in which both'fth'e number and size of these bubbles are increased are nu merous such, for example as submitting the pulp to the action of a vacuum; forcing air under pressure through the body of the pulp; liberating the erases by chemical reaction obtained by introducing the chemicals directly into the pulp; introducing air to the pulp by forcing it from the extremities of the blades of the mitatingelement, and other processes of less e 'c iency than 'those herein mentioned.

By actual experiment it has beenfound that if the pulp is subjected to the action of a rotating agitator which is only partially submerged therein, a more aeration of the 111) is obtained. It has further been noticed that these results are obtained with a smaller quantity of frothillg! oil, a less violent agitation, and that the separating process is thoroughly accomplished with a fewer number of retreatments of the pulp.

Withtlieabove and other objects in view reference is had to the accompanying draw ings in which: i V

Figure 1 is a vertical. sectional view taken on the line 1-,l of Fig. 3:

Fig. 2 is a similar view taken on the line of Fig. 3;

satisfactory Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. l.

Referring'inore particularly to the draw ings. Ilie device ('()l1l)llSL*S an agitating chamber and a spits (asten (it the agitating chamber 5 and spitzkasten (i being separated from each other by means ofa vertical partition T. Mounted in bearings this a transversely extending shaft 9', which shaftfis positioned about half-way of the 'vertical"dimension of the agitating chamber 5, and rigidly carried by. the shaft 9 and mounted-it'orrotation therewith, is an agitate-i510. which comprises a hub portion chambeia'ml the spitzkasten (i is provided u with an 'ai'igrularly disposed opening 13, bear the upper edge thereof, and below the extremities oi the agitating blades II. when in' their rcrtical position. and said opening. hasflljl angularly disposed wall 14 which projects into the agritatilig chamber 5, and an augularly disposed wall 15. which pro jects inwardly of the spitzkasten (i. The lower edge of the partition 7 is provided with an angularly disposed wall 1th which is spaced from the bottom wall 17' of the spitzkasten to provide an opening 18 leading from the spitmlcasten into the agitating chamber Loc ted in the spitzkasten 6. adjacent the. parti ion 7, is an angular partition 17, which together with the partition 18, form two chambers 15) and 9,0. The chamber l9 connuunicatcs with the interior of the spitzkasten by means oi a passage 21. which leads under the portion 22 of the angular partition 17. and the chamber 20-minmunicates with the agitating chamber 5 by means oi a passageway 23. which leads under the inclined projecting wall 24 of the partition]. The partition T is likewise pro vided with a passage 25, which leads from the agityting chamber 5 into the chamber 20.

Extending transversely of the spitzkasten 6. near one end thereofi is a shaft 2t). and mounted on one end thereof is a pulley 9T. Passing around this pulley 27 and a pulley 28 secured to the shaft 9, is a belt 2!), which serves to drive the pulley 27 upon operation of the agitating blades ll. Mounted on the shaft 26 and rotatable therewith, are oppositely dis osed blades 30, which serve to convey the roth into the discharge passage 31, from whence it is conveyed to another device of like character for the purpose of repeating the operation, or to any suitable treating machine.

The reference character 32 designates a discharge ipe from the spitzkasten by means of w ich the angue is drawn therefrom and said disc arge pipe 32 is controlled by means of a va ve 33.

Having thus described the invention, the operation is as follows: The pulp is introduced into the agitatingx chamber 5 by means of the extension 34 t ereof, as shown by the arrows in Fig. 1. When sufiicient quantity of the pulp has been introduced the agitator is rotated in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 1. This rotation of, the agitator produces a beating action of the pulp and, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the pulp is lifted by the agitating blades and introduced into the passage 13 between the agitating chamber 5 and the spitzkasten 6. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the quantity of pulp in the agitating chamber 5 is only sufficient to partially submerge the agitating blades 11, and by this construction, it has been found that a better aeration of the pulp is obtained since not only is the air taken down into the pulp by the blades at the right-hand side bf Figs. 1 and 2,, but the pulp is lifted and submitted to the action of the air in the up )er part of the agitating chamber on the leit-hand side of the agitating blades in Fi s. 1 and 2.

The froth pro uced by the agitating blades 11 rises to the surface in the spitzkasten, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and is discharged by means of the rotating members 30 in a manner heretofore described, the gangue settling to the bottom of the spitzkasten and passing back into the agitating chamber below the inclined wall 12, and the li uid passing into the agitating chamber 5 y means of the passageways 23 and 25.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

A device of the character described comprising an agitating chamber, a spitzkasten, a partition for separating said agitating chamber and spitzkasten, means provided in the upper portion of said partition for (10111 municating said agitating chamber with said spitzkasten, a partition mounted at one end of the spitzkasten to provide a cham- 1 her in said spitzkasten, said partition hm ing its upper edge arranged below the top edge of the sides of said spitzkasten for permitting of the contents of said spitzkasten flowin 'over the top of said partition into sai chamber, and means at the base of said first mentioned partition for communicating said chamber with said agitating chamber.

ROBERT JAMES PIERSOL. 

